Muffler for internal combustion engines



Nov. 10, 1931. R. J. BURRows MUFFLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 13, 1927 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 .UNITED STATES `PATENT oFFlcE ROBERT J. BUBBOWS, v]? BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 CLARK TRUIRACTOR COMPANY, 0F BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATIQN 0F .'lYlTICHIG-AN MUFFLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUS'IION ENGINES Application led April 13,

chargeld, l haust nd also cooling the exhaust gases. As

is commonly known, when a mixture of gasoline and air isexplqded, the'carbon of the gasoline unites with the oxygen ofthe air, forming carbon dioxide and carbon monl0. oxide, while the hydrogen of the gasoline combines with the oxygen of the air to form water.A In the ordinary muler installation the water formed is evaporated by the heat, andthe gas comes out at a high temperature,

15 in many cases incandescent particles of carbon being discharged through the muffler, which is .highly objectionable, particularly because of the increased fire hazard due to the danger that fires may be caused by sparks from the motor exhaust.

In recent years the use of small internal combustion motor operated tractors has become quite extensive in and around manufacturing establishments, warehouses etc., but the ossible fire hazard due to their use is regar ed by many as a serious objection, and has retarded the sale of such tractors toa considerable extent. To avoid that objection by eliminating any danger ofre due to the discharge of sparks from the exhaust, and also to provide improved means for muiing the noise of the exhaust, Aand delivering the exhaust gases at-'a low temperature, are the objects of my present invention. .I accomplish these objects as illustrated in\ the drawings andas hereinafter described.. What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

y In' the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my improvements as applied to a shop tractor of well known design, but it should be understood that they may be applied to other forms of internal combustion motor operated vehicles, and that the claims hereinafter made are not intended to be A limited tothe incorporation of such improveof a shop tractor, part of the hood being 1927. Serial No. 188,339.

broken away to expose the parts that exemplify my invention.

F ig. 2 is a partial vertical cross section on line 2 2 of Figure 1, some parts ofthe silencer being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of F 2, and

Fig. 4 is a partial horizontal section on line 4-4; of Fig. 2. L

My invention essentially involyes the provision of a condensing and silencing element located in the air blast from the usual cooling fan of an internal combustion motor, the parts being lso designed. and arranged that the exhaust gases pass from the motor to the silencer` and are caused to follow a circuitous route therethrough, meanwhile being exposed ito the cooling effect of such blast, with the result that the hot gases are cooled, and the moisture contained in the gas is condensed, lling-the muler and tail pipe with heavy moisture at a comparatively low temperature, part of which accumulates in the tail pipe as liquid before being ultimately discharged through the outlet. This moisture serves to quench any sparks that may be carried toward the point of discharge by the out flowinggases, eliminating all re hazard,.so that the ve hicle may be used in and about warehouses and shops with entire safety. The noise of` the exhaust is,fof course, silenced by the passage of the gases through the condensing element.

Referring now to the drawings for a description in detail of the specific, embodiment of my invention shown therein,-5 indicates 'the frame of the truck or tractor, and 6, 7 the front and rear wheels thereof. Mounted on the frame is an internal combustion motor 8, ofany suitable type, with which is associated a radiator 9, and a fan arranged to be rotated by the motor .in any suitable way. In

the illustrated construction, the fan is mounted on ashaft 1 1, and the radiator is .located at therear of the vehicle, but it is-to be understood that this particular arrangement 1s chosen for illustration onlyand that these parts may be placed in other relative positions, if and when desired. As is well understood, rotation ofthe fan creates a curm0 tions.

one of the end sections follows a kspaces between contiguous sections.

lstance is shown at 12.

At the opposite end of the machine from the radiator 9, in this instance its front end, is a vertically disposed bumper plate 13 which forms a part of the housing for the power plant, its lower` end being secured to the frame 5 while its upper portion connects with the adjacent end of the hood 12. This bumper plate is provided with a series of holes 14, best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to permit air to pass therethrough, so that the air current created by the fan 10, flows along through the hooded space and passes out through the o enings 14.

In the hoo ed space, and adjacent to the inner face. of the plate 13, opposite the holes 14, is a silencing and condensing element v115, which is preferably similar in design to an ordinary heat radiator such as are used in dwellings. The silencer illustrated is composed of a number of similar hollow units or sections 16, adapted to be connected together in series to form a circuitous duet with air This arrangement will be best understood from Fig. 2, in which 17 indicates longitudinal passages formed in the interior of the several sections; 18 indicates laterally projecting bosses at opposite sides of the end portions of each of said sections, said bosses being provided with connecting passages 19; 20 indicates laterally projecting bosses at the ends of said sections, disposed opposite the bosses 18, but not provided withleonnecting passages; and 21 indicates external air spaces between adjoining units, formed by-the abutment against each other of the bosses 18 and-20 of adjoining sec- The several sections are tightly connected together by longitudinal bolts 22, 23 that extend through the several bosses 18, 20 as usual. It will be understood, of course, that the several sections are so assembled that the connecting passages 19 of adjoining sections aline so that fluid entering through circuitous course, flowing in one vdirection through one section and in the opposite direction through the next section, andlso on, until it is discharged at the .opposite end of the radiator. One of the end sections is provided with an 'inlet head 24 secured thereto by the bolt 23, andthe opposite end section is provided with an outlet head 25 secured thereto by the bolt 22. The radiator is preferably mounted on the plate 13 by boltsl 26 secured to said'plate and passing through cerltain of the air spaces 21, their inner ends carrying plates 27 that overlap two adjoining radiator sections. Nuts 28 screwed on the bolts 26 tightly clamp Vthe plates 27`against the radiator and hold it firmly in position.Y

The inlet head 24 is connected by a pipe'29 with the exhaust manifold of the engine 8, as shown in Figure 1, and the discharge head 25 has connected to it an exhaust or tail pipe 30 which preferably extends to the rear of the vehicle, as indicated, principally by dotted lines, in Figure 1. The general trend of said tail pipe is downward, as indicated, but preferably adjacent its rear ends it is bent slightly upward to provide a trap portion 31 in which a small amount of water can accumulate.

The part 32l shown in Figure 1, is the usual pipe leading from the water jacket of the motor to the radiator, the part 33 indicates a belt for driving the fan shaft 11, and the part 34 indicates one of the usual rear wheel mud guards or fenders.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that when the motoris in operation the exhaust gases coming from the engine will pass through pi 29 to the inlet end of the silencer, will ollow a circuitous course through the several sections thereof, and will be discharged through the tail pipe 30. When the motor is in operation the fan 10 is driven, which `causes a flow of air through the radiator 9 into the hooded space and out through the openings 14, after passing through the spaces 21 of the silencer. This flow of air around the silencer sections has a cooling effect on the exhaust gases, which are thereby cooled so that the moisture carried by them is condensed.

The cooled gases pass out through the pi e 30, as does also the condensed moisture, t e latter accumulating in the trap portion 31 of ...the tail pipe until it rises to a high enough level to flow out at the rear end thereof. The

AIn() condensation of the moisture fills themutller and discharge pipe with heavy vapor 'at a comparatively low temperature, some of4 which assumes `liquid form, which extinguishes any sparks or incandescent particles of carbon that might be on their way through the silencer, so that the discharge contains no live sparks. The noise of the exhaust is muffled by diverting the direction of flow of the gases, which in the device illustrated is changed twent -two times, the gases being meanwhile coo ed by the dissipation of the heat effected by the subjection of the silencer to the direct blast of cooling air from the fan.

The terms front and rear, as herein used, are employed in a relative sense merely, since as has been indicated, so far as my 1nvention generically considered is concerned,

it is not essential that the radiator be placed at the rear of the vehicle and the silencer at the front thereof, it being important only that the silencer be exposed to the cooling influence of the current of air induced by the fan.

What y,I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 1n a structure including an internal combustion engine, an enclosinghood for the engine, a radiator in operative assoclatlon l fan, whereby it is cooled and vapors in the with said hood and adapted to be connected to said internal combustion engine, and afan driven by said engine and adapted to draw air into said hood throu h the radiator, the combinationof a muiier disposed within said enclosing hopd and in the path of said air, whereby it is cooled and vapors in the exhaust gases passing therethrough are condensed, means connecting one side of the muler with said engine, and common means for discharging said exhaust gasesA and said condensed vapors from the muiiler. p i

2. In a .structure including an internal combustion engine, an enclosing hood for the engine, a radlator in operative association with said hood and adapted to be connected to said internal combustlon engine, and a fan driven by said engine and adapted to draw air into said hood through the radiator, the combination of a muiier comprising a number of vserially connected and spaced apart sections disposed withinv said enclosing hood and across the blast of air moved by the fan, whereby it is cooled and vapors in the exhaust gases passing therethrough are condensed,

`means connecting the upper portion of the' inuiiler with said en lne, and common means for discharging sai exhaust gases and said condensed vapors from the muiiier.

3. In a structure including an interna` combustion engine, an enclosing hood for the engine and having air holes therein, a radiator in operative association with said hood and adapted to be connected to said internal combustion engine, and a `fan driven b said engine and adapted to direct air throng said holes and the radiator, the combination of a. `muilier comprising a substantially flat core disposed adjacent said air holes and in the path of the air forced therethrough by the exhaust gases passing therethrough are condensed, means connecting oneside of the mufiier with said engine, and' common means fordischarging said exhaust gases and said condensed vapors from the muier.

5 ROBER'l` J. BURROWS. 

